Tech in Downing Street

November 17, 2017

Tech South West steering group member Nick Sturge was at Downing Street this week to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss key tech sector issues including how the UK can better support start-ups and scale-ups.

Nick, Director of the Engine Shed in Bristol, was part of a group of business leaders from the UK tech sector who met with Theresa May, Chancellor Philip Hammond and Karen Bradley, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Nick, who is attending the next Tech South West showcase event on November 28, said: “We discussed how the Government and business can better support start-ups and scale-ups, how we can improve and ensure access to talent and what the emerging trends are likely to be. “It was a really positive roundtable. There were ideas around share options, how to encourage companies to take on non-executive directors, how to create entrepreneurial directors and how the UK can take advantage of the significance of tech corporates in each region including the South West.”

The meeting, on Wednesday November 15, coincided with a number of key announcements including an investment of £21m in TechCityUK to become TechNation.

Nick added: “The move to a national TechNation perspective recognises the strengths, opportunities and challenges in each region. We need to create a coherent, connected and richly diverse community of clusters. This will require all regions to step up and work with the TCUK team, to make this work and ensure the tremendous local, grass roots and 'organically grown' initiatives are recognised and supported.

“We know that regional activity is very strong but it is helpful to add some of ‘London's special sauce’ to the regional offer. “The South West tech community is an important and increasingly recognised contribution to UK PLC. Events such as the Tech South West showcase later this month are a critical part of that.”